You Belong With Me
by Legacy Now
Summary: Happy birthday, Hugh Jackman! Marie has loved her childhood friend, James for a long time. One problem. He has a girlfriend named Jean Grey. Oh, my my my… High school setting AU
1. Happy

**You Belong With Me**

~*~

---

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset  
She's going off about something that you said  
She doesn't get your humour like I do_

---

"Jean, you know that I was just kidding about the joke I said yesterday, right?"

Jame's eyebrows were scrunched up in seriousness, the grip on his cellphone was getting tighter and tighter. Marie watched as she looked up from her notepad, glancing at James with concern. They were in Marie's room, doing a project for social studies class. So far they were making excellent progress, until James had to take a phone call, which the caller was Jean.

"Well, for your information, it had nothing to do about cheerleaders, and Don was the one who made it up," the football player continued on as he got angrier with each passing minute. "Then don't yell at me, BLAME DON!!"

The cellphone sounded like it was going to be smashed into smithereens, but luckily it survived the fury in one piece. James placed his cellphone back in his pocket and looked at Marie.

"Sorry... I wasn't paying attention," he said with much regret.

Marie smiled, "it's fine... you want to talk about it?"

---

_I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night  
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like  
She'll never know your story like I do_

_But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts  
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers  
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find  
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

---

Turning off her radio which played "Single Ladies" by Beyonce, she was now fully tuned to listen to James.

Marie and James were close friends, ever since childhood. They grew up in the same neighborhood, played together, went to school and studied together as well. Suddenly, things started to change when James found a girlfriend in the school's cheer captain, Jean Grey. Marie often denied that she had a crush on James, and the feelings that she felt were just happiness for James. She would reassure herself that it was just anxieties over school work. Though the jealous bouts she was receiving often could be a sure sign that she was in love with her childhood friend and she was envious of Jean. It was not until two months into James and Jean's relationship, that Marie realized that she was in love with James all along. She concealed her true feelings for almost five months. What made her fall in love with him? Was it his kind hearted nature? That she saw him more than just a jock in the school? No matter what the reason was, she loved every thing about James, and she would miss him each time he was away out of town for a game.

Marie could tell that the relationship was getting sour, since James and Jean were arguing more these past few weeks. Marie wished she could help James more, but she was afraid she may give herself away. Her feelings may show in front of James if she helped him too often, and she would be dead if Jean knew. She was just a normal person in the student body. Jean was the Queen, and could crush her like an ant on a sidewalk.

"I'm fine," he nodded as he closed his eyes. "Jean's been acting up lately, so I'm used to it. How about you? You okay? Bobby's not getting to you, isn't he?"

Marie's sunny smile turned into a frosty frown. Sharp, black memories came back into her mind. She and Bobby had been in a relationship last year before the school year ended, but he cheated on her for Kitty Pryde. It was a long harsh summer for Marie, but with James at her side comforting her, it helped her ease the pain. Though, it pained her every time she saw Bobby and Kitty kissing each other, or holding hands and walking through the halls. After all she had been through, she wished she would share those moments with James instead of Bobby. If only she snatched James up earlier and tell him how she truly felt, so he couldn't have been with Jean...

"Yeah, I'm over it... don't worry about me."

"You sure?" asked James, concern in his eyes.

"Don't worry!" smiled Marie. "That's not important at all, and seriously, he never loved me from the start. Maybe I only hung on to him because he was my first..."

"Well, there are more guys out there," said James, smiling. "One of them is for you, since you deserve it all the way."

The joyful glint in his eyes and the smile across his face made Marie's head shy away, and she could feel her cheeks burning.

_None of them are like you, so... _

Eyes widening, Marie breathed and was relieved to not have said that thought out loud. Her flesh would be on someone's barbecue and eaten down in one bite.

"Let's get back to the project, shall we," said Marie, trying to hide her blushing face.

"Sure, we're toast if Mr. McCoy doesn't see this on his desk tomorrow morning!"

* * *

**Author's Note**

Dedicated to Hugh Jackman. Happy 41st birthday! :D Keep on truckin'... :) (October 12 1968)

I don't own Taylor Swift, Beyonce Knowles, nor X-Men. *pout* May I have Hugh Jackman for Christmas this year, mommy? :D And yesterday was my mother's birthday, so if Hugh had his birthday one day earlier, I would be a happy girl. ^^ They're both Libras! :D

(And did you just notice that I played almost every single event that was for the VMAs this September? I would just die from laughter if I actually did place in Kanye West or "I'm gonna let you finish..." in this fic... haha! By the way, Kanye West is a d-bag. BOOOOOOOO)

I had this plot bunny stuck in my head for a while, so this is a good way to get it out. ^^ Since I'm writer's blocked, it's snowing and cold, and I really want to get this out, this is going to be a multi-chaptered fic. Soooo... Will little Marie get the nerve to say her feelings to James? :D

Hope you enjoyed it. :D See ya next chapter. Peace!


	2. Birthday

**_~*~_**

_Walking the streets with you and your worn out jeans_

_I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be_

_Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself_

_Hey, isn't this easy?_

_---_

As Marie pressed the button of the camera, football players were tackling each other to the ground for the ball. She was at a major school football game, and was taking pictures for the yearbook committee. Sometimes, she was tempted to look at James and stare at him for the entire time, but she had to control herself and get a variety of shots for the yearbook.

The game turnouts were getting tense. Marie's school, the St. Bernard Stellar's Jays, were against a long time rival opponent, the Maryland Bulldogs. Both teams were at a tie, and all of the players were getting restless to strengthen the odds for their team's victory. Though, the players never seemed to be out of energy, which kept the spectators cheering.

Glancing towards her left, Marie saw a bunch of cheerleaders stretching out on the field, noticing Jean to be amongst the group. Looking down at her shoes, Marie bit her tongue and closed her eyes. Even though people like Jean went against everything Marie stood for, she sometimes envied Jean's relationship with James. Jean was a cheerleader. On top of the food chain in the student body! Granting her a free pass to be in a relationship with a school athlete. But Marie? Tomboy with an interest in landscaping, portraits and art? Would rather be at a museum or an art gallery instead of a mall? Out of the question. But Marie had known James ever since kindergarten. She understood what makes James displeased and what makes him feel content after being with him for so many years. There wasn't much understanding and communication between James and Jean, with their relationship spoiling and going downhill. Why couldn't James end their relationship sooner, and cut of the agony Jean was causing for him?

As the ball landed on the other side of the post, the buzzer blared an ear-splitting sound across the field, and the spectators began to scream at the top of their lungs. The Stellar's Jays had won.

_---_

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town_

_I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down_

_You say you're fine I know you better than that_

_Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?_

**_~*~_**

_She wears high heels, I wear sneakers_

_She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find_

_That what you're looking for has been here the whole time_

_---_

Walking to the entrance of the changing room, a wide smile was across her face as she found the hero of the day.

"Jimmy, man, you did it!" cheered Marie as she high fived a joyful, sweaty James.

"Yeah, we did it!" breathed James, a beaming look of joy on his face. "See you soon, and show me those pics when you've got time!"

"For sure!" she nodded before he disappeared from sight. "For sure..."

Noticing her hands were dirty from touching the railings of the bleachers, she decided to head for the bathroom. As she made her way, she noticed two figures in the hallways, kissing each other passionately. Turning her head to give them privacy, she looked back to give a second glance, and realized it was someone familiar. It was Jean! And who was the guy making out with her? Hiding in an alcove, Marie peeked out to see the identity of the mysterious character. It was Scott Summers, another member of the school's football team. Thoughts darted through Marie's mind. Why was Jean cheating on James? And how could she! If there was a list of worst girlfriends, Jean would definitely be number one.

"I can't stand James anymore!" clamored Jean. "He's just so... sensitive! Like a child!"

"How long is this going to take?" asked Scott. "He's going to find out eventually, why don't you just break up with him this week?"

"I can't just do that! You guys just won tonight, he'll be all depressed after I dump him."

"Jean... we've been hiding this for a long time. How long will it drag on? Jean... I love you. So much...!"

"... Fine. This Friday after school, I'll do it. ... I love you, too, Scott."


	3. Hugh Jackman

**Note~***

Ohhhhhhhhhh crap... Where to begin. ... *hides* ... So sorry for the over due chapter...! Writer's blocked :'D Forgive me!

_Hugh Jackman_

_October 12, 1968_

Thank you to those who have been with me since the beginning of the story. I could not have done this without you. Out of all my stories, this one had the most alerts. So, thanks again. :D I would have written personal shout outs of thanks, but there are way to many of you...! sorryyyyyyyy *hug*

Enjoy the ending, and thanks again. ^^ I truly am speechless. :)

* * *

_If you could see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see..._

_You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your backdoor_

_All this time, how could you not know, baby_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

_~*~_

_Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night_

_I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry_

_And I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams_

_Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me_

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_

* * *

It had been a month since James and Jean broke up. On the day after their relationship ended, Marie was at his side to comfort him with jokes they made up together. She ordered pizza with his favorite toppings on it and played a Metallica CD, which was one of his favorite bands, on the CD player while they ate. Despite the setbacks, James got back quickly on his feet.

The question that was plaguing Marie's mind was: why was James taking so long to move on? He was free of Jean's clutches. A single man! But with their friendship unchanging, Marie's heart was in agony and had thoughts that James only saw Marie as a friend. When she came to the realization, her heart took a deep nose dive and a frown was across her face. Maybe staying friends was a good thing. If they did took their relationship to the next step, complications would arise and their friendship would be in ruins. More frets fathomed in Marie's mind, the woman shivering as she tried to shake the fears off. Their friendship was too precious for Marie to lose. If she hid her true feelings from James, it would still be pure and the relationship would be free of complications. But forever and always... Marie would always see James more than just a friend.

* * *

Marie lifted the pencil off the paper, proudly examining the sketch she just made. The sketch composed of two kittens, lying together in a basket with a blanket draped around their figures. She looked at the real live photo and compared it with the drawing. The photo and the drawing looked somewhat alike, but Marie could tell she was improving. She borrowed the picture from Mrs. Bennet across the street. Marie thought it was sweet of Mrs. Bennet to lend her a picture of her kittens to Marie for her project. The young artist adored her kittens, and enjoyed coming over to the woman's house to see them. They were so adorable, Marie had to draw them! She promised to show Mrs. Bennet the final sketch. Marie tried her best to follow the photo as best as she could for Mrs. Bennet.

Glancing at the kitchen clock, she couldn't believe her eyes as she saw the placement of the hands. It was already lunch time. Cleaning off the table, she headed for the bathroom to clean her messy hands.

Failing to notice the lights under the doorway, she opened the handle... and saw a shirtless James. Water drops falling off of his body like rain, a towel in his hands.

"Sorry...!" The blushing girl quickly shut the door.

A stunned Marie was sitting on the floor, speechless as to why James was using her family's bathroom. _With his shirt off!_ Why would he use their bathroom? He lived in their neighborhood. He could easily go to his own bathroom and clean himself there. But why _her_ bathroom of all bath places?

"Hey..." A low voice was above her.

It was James. He was wearing a clean shirt and a fresh pair of jeans. A towel was around his neck, and water dripped from his wet hair.

"Hi... Um, what happened?"

_Bad question! Bad question! ... Retard! _

"I was into cars this month, so your dad brought up there was something wrong with his truck," began the athlete. "He thought I'd be interested to check it out, and wow... I just pressed on something, and BAM! Oil and crap spilled everywhere..."

"Ah... I see."

"Good thing your dad suggested a spare set of clothes."

An uncomfortable silence was among the two.

"Um, there's some leftover sandwiches from my mom's meeting. It's lunchtime anyways, so... do you wanna eat?"

"Sure! I'm hungry anyways."

They ate on the patio, eating in the noon sunshine as they sipped on cool drinks. Marie's father ate with them, but soon returned to the garage, congratulating James for his first try at car repair.

Once they were alone, the same silence came back to them. A rocky start boosted their conversation, which Marie tried hard to not stammer.

"... so really, you had to know the rules before you _break_ them. That's the basic and most true rule of art ever created, and every artist should follow it. So, I... I couldn't... I-"

Trying hard not to stare at his eyes, Marie's glance couldn't help but be drawn into them. Like weak flies to a bug zapper, she was the prey and about to be zapped.

"Imma let you finish, but..." James started, his face turning a light pink. "You don't happen to have someone for the dance next month, do you?"

"No, I don't, why?" _Is this it? _

"I was wondering... would... would you go to the dance with me?"

"Yes, I'd... yes, I'd love to." A smile was across Marie's face.

James was happy with Marie's answer. A few minutes later, he said his goodbyes and happily left for home. Marie sighed and closed her eyes. Could this be it? Could James see her as more than a friend? It wasn't the "sweep-you-off-your-feet" dream that Marie expected, but it was a start.

* * *

_You belong with me_

_Have you ever thought just maybe you belong with me?_

_~*~_

_

* * *

_**End Note**

... Oh, crap, "Single Ladies" from chapter one, "You Belong With Me" and "Imma let you finish". ... Told ya someone was gonna laugh. :D :) bwahaha Thanks again! ^.^ Hope to see you again on my next story! :D_  
_


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